The Scientific Ghana Series 2:
Higher Order Purpose Ought To Be The Sense and
The Seed Of Higher Education
Higher education must be distinguished from
tertiary education. Tertiary education is the one that comes after secondary
education. Where the many students just memorise idle facts anyhow. Higher
Education must be in pursuit of a higher order purpose. Students must identify
their higher purpose to match the courses they take. Otherwise the youth
unemployment and underdevelopment in Africa and Ghana will just continue.
Many such idle students at some point wake up
to finally identify their gifts and talents and that is where it gets
interesting. However, the sad trend is that once these students begin to light
up their path, they quickly begin the futile effort of blaming the schools they
have been to for not showing them the genius they really are.
Some even say “everyone is a genius but school
makes them think otherwise? Really?? How about family and friends? It’s
important we do not misdiagnose our problems. A school in the end is just a
sterile device. You get there and take what you need and move on. Only that
many young people do not know what they want to do with their lives. Their
parents made no effort and they themselves did nothing either. So do not blame
school.
The fact that you picked the wrong course and as a
results did not see how good you are does not mean school did anything wrong. If
you are a 5000 m runner and you chose sprint 100m and you get no medal, is it
the is it the competition that is unfair or you need to pick what suits you
best?
The chicken-and-egg scenerio comes into play in
this situation. Which comes of the decisions comes first? The student finding
him/herself at the right place and time for training or the training programme
being made to work some magic to force-train and clearly misplaced talent?
Everyone is a teacher and everyone is a student.
And then there is resonance. By picking the wrong course you choose not to be
in sync with the trainer!!! Parents, family and friends are the best coaches
not teachers. The scope of operation is just too limited for every need of
the young person to get all the needed assistance to turn out right. They’re
just too many variables that all have to come into place at the right time for
the needed impact.
Unfortunately the vast majority of students do not
care and their parents and friends do not care either. So they come to school
and spend all your time leading church groups and failing every course on offer.
What can a teacher do about that? It’s the parent, family and the church group who
need to point out the situation and insist they do not waste the teacher's time
by being inattentive and unserious. Schools are not miracle working establishments;
they ought to be viewed as a connecting hub for talent development. Everyone
must play their role well.
